Ever make a New Year’s resolution that went nowhere? Afraid you’re about to do it again in a few days? Annual plans for most businesses are like those. A burst of high hopes and effort, fizzling by February, because – Life gets in the way.

You’re putting out fires, and back in your old habits. What happened? You’re back at work and at the end of each day you can barely remember what you got done.

You go home and your spouse asks how your day was- and you kind of don’t want to tell the truth. You’re sensing your team is thinking you don’t really have a plan, only ideas…

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The Secret to Hitting Business Goals

It’s fun to set big goals for your business – but why can’t you actually hit them? Here are three key things from entrepreneurs who nail their goals:

1) A goal without a plan is a wish

2) It isn’t about the goal, it’s about the habits

3) Be accountable or fail

How Do You Do It?

Let’s break these down:

1) A goal without a plan is a wish: If you just set a goal (“$X in revenue by December”), you haven’t gone deep enough. You need to specify the – People you need – Processes to build – Dependencies – Timeline Until you do that, you don’t have a plan. You have a wish.

2) It isn’t about the goal, it’s about the habits: A plan isn’t enough to hit your goals, you need to implement. Don’t treat a plan as the exception – make it the rule (or fires will consume your day). Ask: – What routines must I do every week? – What time do I need calendared?

3) Be accountable or fail You’re almost there. But not quite. There’s a reason why a New Year’s resolution to lose weight works if you get a trainer, otherwise not. Accountability. Ask: – Who is going to hold me accountable to the habits?

What’s Next

So now you see how to nail your goals: Goal -> Plan -> Habits -> Accountability Without ALL of these, you’ll whiff your plans in 2023. Or worse, just not bother having a plan and just show up to a dumpster fire in your business every day.

It doesn’t have to be this way. You can absolutely make a change. Just answer these questions:

• Have I specified my goals enough?
• Do I have the habits to get me there, or do I need to get help installing them?
• Who is going to keep me accountable every week?

I’ve been working with entrepreneurs for over 20 years – and the ones that I see make the most progress have found answers to those questions first.

Find out how to be held accountable – and get a weekly list of short, actionable steps to scale your company with simplicity in the Boardroom Bulletin.

More business financial tips

Are you a small business owner? Learn more about tax deductions that could beef up your tax refund. You may also want to consider reviewing your business’s budget with a financial advisor.

A financial advisor can help you with your business budget. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. (Sponsored)

This article originally appeared on RajJha.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.

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